Coming to Buenos Aires in June 2017? Here’s what’s going on in the city this month: exhibitions, events and performing arts.

MUSEUMS

MALBA: General Idea – Broken Time

Until June 25

Broken Time is the first retrospective in Latin America of General Idea, a collective of Canadian artists formed in 1969 by AA Bronson, Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal. Over the course of its twenty-five years of existence (1969-1994), the group produced a large body of groundbreaking works on an array of supports and in a variety of formats. It is still a point of reference for new generations of artists around the world.

PROA: Yves Klein – Retrospective

Until July 31

Over 70 art works and 100 documents from the famous French artist are on display at PROA museum. Klein is one of the most relevant contemporary artist from the 20th century and the inventor of a new color in art history: the International Klein Blue (IKB).

Museo de Bellas Artes: Xul Solar – Panactivista

Until June 18

Argentine artist Xul Solar (1887-1963) was an inventor of imaginary languages and a strong believer in astrology. Solar’s paintings are mainly sculptures, often using striking contrasts and bright colours, typically in relatively small formats.

Cesar Pelli is one of the most renowned Argentinean architect. Born and raised in northwestern region of Tucumán, he has an impressive portfolio of works around the globe, including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which for some years were the tallest towers in the world.

From November 14 to December 8, Centro Cultural Recoleta offers to discover the work of this architect. Through a display of some of his most iconic buildings, but also some less known cultural words, the exhibition is a tribute to one of the most influential living architects.

Cesar Pelli has an impressive curriculum of tower building. For years, Kuala Lumpur’s 452-meter high Petronas Tower were the highest in the world.

Located across the former World Trade Center, the World Financial Center (now Brookfield Place) is a complex of building erected between 1982 and 1988.

Hong Kong’s International Finance Center is a prominent landmark on the island. It is an integrated commercial development built on the waterfront of Hong Kong’s Central District.

Cesar Pelli architour in Buenos Aires

Cesar Pelli built three important buildings in Buenos Aires. The most recent and maybe the most impressive as well is YPF Tower in Puerto Madero. The heart of the Building, between floors 26 to 31, is a small Eucalyptus trees wood.

YPF Tower

Macacha Guemes Blv. at Juana Mano St.

Built in 1996, Edificio República near Retiro station can be observed from Puerto Madero. It is easily recognizable from it convex façade.

Edificio República

Tucumán 1

Torre BankBoston is a glass tower located in Catalina Norte office buildings complex, also near Retiro station.

Back at the end of the 19th century and during the first decades of the 20th century, Buenos Aires was one of the most important and wealthiest capital cities in the world. It is a common grandmother tale in porteña’s families that when children wouldn’t eat, they were told to “think about people starving in Europe” and finish their plate.

Born during the last decade of the 19th century, Art Nouveau style was very well received in wealthy Buenos Aires. Many curvy, plant-filled buildings appeared on the main avenues, filling the city with a playful, undulating style.

With the help of AANBA, the Buenos Aires Art Nouveau Association, the city is now focusing on bringing out the beauties of this architectural style.

With two important art and design fairs in La Rural this week, you will have plenty to shop and see. Discover the Latinamerican art market at ArteBA Art Fair and look for the most original Argentinean design pieces at Puro Diseño Fair.

Enjoy your week in Buenos Aires!

1 – Arte BA Art Fair

Photo Credit: Gentileza arteBA Fundación

ArteBa is one of the main art fair of Latinamerica. It gathers over 500 artists and 100.000 visitors each year. The fair is built around several programs: young curators competition, acquisition program destined to museums and galleries, Proargentina networking program for artists. For art amateurs, it is an opportunity to take a glimpse at contemporary art creation and art marketplace.

You have probably seen it already somewhere without knowing it was an Argentinean design. The BFK chair, also known as the Butterfly Chair, was designed back in the 1940s.It quickly became one of the most successful pieces of industrial design.

The BFK chair takes its name from the three architects who designed it: Antonio Bonet (1913-1989), Juan Kurchan (1917-1975) and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy (1914-1977). All three had met in Le Corbusier workshop. Antonio Bonet was from Catalunya, Spain, while Kurchan and Ferrari Hardoy where Argentinean. The trio formed Grupo Austral, which would also include other emblematic architects such as Amancio Williams, Mario Roberto Álvarez, Horacio Vera Ramos, among others.

The Butterfly Chair was immediately acclaimed by critics. It became a symbol of modernity. In 1944, the MOMA in New York added it to its permanent collection.

A couple of days ago, we went to Colección Fortabat to see this exhibition of Contemporary Argentinean Design. Colección Fortabat is located in Puerto Madero and it is always a pleasure to have a walk on the car-free docks on a sunny morning.

In January 2014, Arquitect Norman Foster unveiled his design of an elevated bike path named SkyCycle. The purpose is to take advantage of the structure of railway lines to construct car-free lanes for cyclists.